#1 - Reduce Your Water Consumption

Posted: Apr 01 2016

Start your green journey by looking at one of our greatest areas of consumption - our water use.“Nearly 95 percent of your water footprint is hidden in the food you eat, energy you use, products you buy, and services you rely on," according to National Geographic.

Brands such as Big Star Denim making efforts to cut their water use. Their production facilities utilize Ozone Technology, which cuts water consumption by 50 percent while also minimizing the use of chemicals and energy. First implemented in 2010, the Ozone process has saved millions of gallons of water.

Research has shown that a significant part of the environmental impact of leather is in the manufacturing process. It is not only the chemicals used in the tanning process that should determine how eco-friendly the leather is, but also the entire production cycle. The factory O MY BAG works with in Kolkata, India, has a built-in water reservoir to collect rainwater during monsoon season. This water is recycled and used later in the production. In addition to this, the used water is purified in a central purification facility.

The factory also uses this runoff to beautify the entrance of their tannery; a green garden full of colorful flowers sits just beyond the gates and is watered using the water that is filtered after the tanning has taken place.

Visit NationalGeographic.com and take their water tour to determine what other areas you can reduce your water footprint. Then "pledge to dry it out, joining other nationalgeographic.com users who have already committed to saving thousands of gallons."